The theory and practice of archery

Mr. Piers F. Legh (Royal Toxophilite Society) has made some good single York Rounds in private practice, viz.:

Mr. R. Walters (Champion in 1879, Royal Toxophilite Society) has made some good scores in private practice, of which the best appear to be as follows:

Mr. J. H. Bridges' (Royal Toxophilite Society) best single York Rounds in private practice are:

At 100 yards, in 72 arrows, he has made:

At 80 yards, in 48 arrows, he has made:

At 60 yards, in 24 arrows:

and in 100 arrows at 60 yards:

It will be observed that nearly all Mr. Bridges' practice occurs early or late in the season, as cricket absorbs much of his attention in the summer.

Mr. L. R. Erskine (Royal Toxophilite Society) has made some good single York Rounds in private practice, viz.:

The full particulars of Mr. O. K. Prescot's (Royal Toxophilite Society) best private practice double York Round score of 1197 cannot be given, as they have been lost or destroyed. It was shot in two days of September 1867. The first total score was 621, and the score at 100 yards was 256—200 having been made in the first 4 dozen. The second round was 567, and, in this round, the score at 80 yards was 249. The most annoying thing about the round was that the last arrow at 60 yards missed the target, when a black even would have brought the total up to 1200.

Mr. H. J. B. Kendall's (Royal Toxophilite Society) best score in the York Round was made in private practice on August 14, 1884:

On this occasion the 2 arrows not counted at 80 yards went through weak places in the target.

He also made 52 hits 224 score at 100 yards on Aug 28, 1884.

On July 5, 1877, he made 3 golds in one end at 100 yards in the course of the Summer Handicap match of the Royal Toxophilite Society, repeating the feat performed by Mr. H. A. Ford at Shrewsbury in 1854.

Mr. O. Leigh Clare (Royal Toxophilite Society) has made some good private practice, viz.:

in the single York Round; and in 72 arrows at 100 yards:

also in 48 arrows at 80 yards:

Mr. C. J. Perry-Keene made the following fine score in private practice on July 24, 1886, in the single York Round:—

and two other good scores made by him are:

In private practice Mr. F. A. Govett (Royal Toxophilite Society) made:

and on May 29, at one of the meetings of the same society, he made:

Again, in private practice, he made on April 11, 1884:

On September 23, 1886, Mr. F. L. Govett (Royal Toxophilite Society) scored in private practice:

Mr. F. Townsend's (Woodman of Arden) best York Round score appears to be as follows:

made on December 27, 1862.

He seldom practised the York Round, and never allowed his archery practice to interfere with his other numerous avocations.

Mr. W. Spottiswoode, P.R.S. (Royal Toxophilite Society), has another good score on the Society's books:

made on May 30, 1867.

Captain A. P. Moore, who made the highest score in 1849, at Derby, when Mr. H. A. Ford was first champion, reports that his best score in a single York Round was in private practice:

and that he has made 316 score with 56 hits and 304 score with 64 hits in the 72 arrows at 100 yards.

His best performance at 80 yards was 254 score with 44 hits in the 48 shots, and at 60 yards his best score was 164 with the 24 hits. His best double York Round was 1288 with 252 hits, mentioned by Mr. H. A. Ford. In the month of March 1852 he shot 14 rounds, and their average was 557 score with 115 hits.

Two very good records of Mr. Charles Garnett's (Royal Toxophilite Society) shooting at 100 yards are:

72 arrows being shot on each occasion.

He says: 'I shot a distance of 304 yards on a calm day with an 85-lb. bow and four-and-ninepenny 28-inch arrow. I could not get a flight-arrow to stand the bow, or I should probably have shot further, as the four-and-ninepenny arrow was one of the old pattern and heavily feathered.'

Captain C. H. Garnett's (John o' Gaunt Bowmen) best score in the York Round amounted to 522, but he has been unable to find a record of the details. The following is another good score made by him on November 17, 1873:

In October of the same year, in 72 arrows at 100 yards he made 48 hits 220 score, and made 3 golds in one end.

He reports that his father, Mr. H. Garnett, shooting with the John o' Gaunt Bowmen on one occasion, scored 500 in the York Round.

Another John o' Gaunt Bowman, Mr. B. P. Gregson, has scored as much as 497 in the York Round.

A good St. George's Round (of 36 arrows at each distance) made by Mr. Marr is:

another by Mr. Heath:

A good St. George's Round made by Mr. E. Maitland (Champion in 1848, Royal Toxophilite Society) is:

and he says: 'I tried hard to catch up Mr. H. A. Ford on my return to England from Australia in 1858, but had scarcely got within 25 per cent. of his scores when I broke down from overwork—bows too strong, and practice too unremitting. He said if I did not beat him, there was no one else in the field to do it. I don't think I ever should, because I had not his indomitable steadiness and threw away many a shot on a chance: for I was a rapid shooter. I never dwelt on the aim as he did.'

Mr. T. L. Coulson (Royal Toxophilite Society) recorded his first score of 500 on the single York Round on May 1, 1861, on November 18, 1862:

and on October 21, 1865:

On January 13, 1869, he made 3 golds in one end at 100 yards.

Mr. J. A. Froude (Royal Toxophilite Society) says: 'I did once make [a score of] over 500 [in the single York Round] in a private match; but only once, and the record of it has long vanished. Richardson and Spedding were both shooting on that occasion, and I, for a miracle, in that single instance beat Richardson.' This probably happened about 1860.

It is generally believed that the private practice of Mr. G. Edwards (Champion in 1860-1-2-4-6) was far beyond his public shooting. He has been heard to say that, though Mr. Ford had been able to land only 71 of the 72 arrows shot at 100 yards in the target (missing his 59th arrow), he (Mr. G. E.) had put all his 72 arrows into the target at the same distance. There is no reason to disbelieve his positive statement that on one occasion, shooting 24 arrows at 60 yards, he put every one of them in the red circle.

'Some of the scores made by Mr. Edward Mason in private practice were very large, and it is to be regretted that no actual details can be given. It is well known, however, that on several occasions he made a score of over 1000 on the double York Round, and were the figures available they could not fail to be of wide interest' ('Archers' Register,' 1882-3).

Mr. Peter Muir (Champion 1845-7 and 1863) was a most successful shot at all distances, short as well as long, but probably seldom, if ever, practised the York Round. Mr. H. A. Ford gives as his best score the following, made at the distance of from 20 to 30 yards, 2 shots, 2 hits—a hawk and a crow (fact).

Mr. E. Meyrick says: 'It is true that I have seen Escott hurl his eight-shilling arrows from a bow of 80 lbs. and ten-shilling arrows from a 100-lb. bow, but then he could not do much hitting. I should think something authentic must exist of my old friend Marsh's long shot of 360 yards up and down. He would hit half his arrows at 100 yards very often,' as may be seen from the extracts given from his actual scores.

A point of interest in Mr. W. Butt's (Royal Toxophilite Society) shooting is, that he shot with both hands, though only on one occasion did he shoot two rounds on the same day, one with each hand. This was at a West Berks meeting at Coombe Wood, Surrey (Sir W. Baynes), as follows:

His best right-handed shooting was as follows:

shot on October 3, 1863; and on October 9, 1863, in 110 arrows at 60 yards:

On February 8, 1864, in a York Round:

and on March 12, 1864, at 80 yards 41 hits 207 score in the 48 arrows.

Shooting left-handed, his best scores in the books of the Royal Toxophilite Society are 47 hits 201 score, in 72 arrows at 100 yards, on the first half of the shooting on the Crunden Day on April 18, 1867; and on May 30 in the same year in the York Round:

and on October 5, 1876, at 60 yards, 24 hits with 160 score—'record' for 60 yards shooting in the York Round at the meetings of the Royal Toxophilite Society.

Mr. Macnamara made good scores at the public meetings, but it is believed that his shooting in private practice was of infinitely higher quality. He took to shooting left-handed afterwards, but without much success in public.

Mr. G. L. Aston also has been at different periods a successful shot, both right-handed and left-handed, at the public meetings.

About thirty years ago Mr. Aubrey Patton shot so well that Mr. H. A. Ford took the trouble to explain in the pages of the Field that he had not yet been beaten by him; but Mr. Patton's regimental duties took him out of reach of more archery practice.

Mr. E. Sharpe (John o' Gaunt Bowmen) made

in private practice October 2, 1886.

No attempt has yet been made to collect the records of the many excellent scores that have been made by numerous ladies in club matches, or in private practice; but it is believed that, owing to the ladies' shooting at the public meetings being more like their club and private practice, in that it occupies an afternoon only, and is not spun out all over the day, as is the case with the gentlemen, the ladies' public shooting more fairly represents the best they can do; yet many ladies have scored over 400 in the half of the National Round who have not yet approached the 800 which both Mrs. and Miss Legh have shown to be attainable at a public meeting in the National Round. A few samples of their accuracy of aim can however be here given as specimens of what might be contributed to another edition of this book.

Mrs. Butt, shooting in private practice in the Jephson Gardens, at Leamington, on June 10, 1870, made

and, in the course of this score at 50 yards, made 6 consecutive golds in one double end.

Miss Ripley (now Mrs. Bradford), shooting at a Prize Meeting of the Torbay Archers, on August 5, 1871, is reported to have scored

Mrs. Piers F. Legh, shooting at home on September 9, 1881, scored

Doubtless many other archers have already made noteworthy scores in the course of their private practice. These scores and the many others hereafter to be made, as much as possible better than any herein given, the editor (with Mr. H. A. Ford's adieu of 'Farewell and shoot well') will gladly record in the fourth edition.